


proud father

by sunshineflying



Series: All That I Have Verse [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Kid Fic, Sentimental
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 09:20:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14399064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineflying/pseuds/sunshineflying
Summary: Written for a prompt on Tumblr, and set in the All That I Have verse but you don't have to read that to understand this. Just hours after his daughter Padmé is born, Ben cares for her as Rey slumbers, still worn out from giving birth.





	proud father

Even after Leia departs, Ben can’t bring himself to leave the room where Rey and Padmé lay sleeping. It’s such a shock to him, that this is his life now. Astonishing in a way that he doesn’t know how to process or comprehend. Somehow, in the entire galaxy, even with all the other options presented to her, Rey chose Ben.

She could have anyone she wanted, but  _ she chose Ben _ .

And now their daughter slumbers in a little cot by the window, the faint traces of dawn, of first sunlight, creeping over the horizon behind her. Leia had warned Ben to sleep while he could, that in a few short weeks he’ll be desperate for sleep, but he just can’t. He can’t stop watching his daughter, the way her little lips purse and her brow furrows as she takes big deep breaths and adjusts to life outside of her mother’s womb. Barely a few hours old, Padmé has already stolen his heart with all her little habits and soft baby sounds.

She wakes on her own, probably hungry, smacking her lips together eagerly. “Hi sweetheart,” Ben says softly, the word coming so naturally to him as he leans over and gently brushes his finger over his daughter’s tiny hand.

Padmé takes tight hold of her father’s finger, her own silent little demand for  _ food now _ . She looks at him, her eyes still too dark and not grown into, for him to truly know yet whether she’s inherited his or Rey’s eyes. “It’s alright,” he whispers. “I’m here. Daddy’s got you.”

All the platitudes sound so stupid in his head, sound like something only the weak ones would say. But they’re not stupid. They’re all the things he wished had been said to him - the comfort and adoration he wished his parents had bestowed upon him.

And perhaps once upon a time they had.

But they’d outgrown it far before Ben had, and he has no memories of it, how warm and comforting a parent’s voice and touch could feel. Which is why Ben isn’t going to hold back, not around Padmé. He never, not even for one instant, wants her to feel like she doesn’t matter, like she doesn’t belong.

Ben very gently lifts Padmé from her little cot, pleased with the revelation that he could easily lift her with just one arm, and moves her to his other so he can cradle her against his chest. She lets out another protest, and Ben bounces gently with his knees, trying to soothe her. “Shh, Mommy’s sleeping,” Ben soothes her, trying to keep her from waking Rey. “I know you’re hungry but you can wait just a bit longer, right?”

He grazes a finger gently over her cheek, and she grips his finger roughly in her tiny, strong hands once more. “There we go,” he says as she quiets. “That’s my girl.” 

Padmé makes a noise - not a cry, but something akin to cooing - something sweet, letting her father know that she’s hungry, but she supposes she can keep quiet for just a bit longer. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispers as he starts to walk around the room with her. “I hope you look just like Mommy when you grow up.” Padmé examines him closely, not comprehending his words, but probably recognizing his voice. “You’re already so strong. You’re going to make us proud, I know it.”

Padmé coos again, a bit of an edge to it this time, like she knows she can’t wait for food much longer. “I love you so much, Padmé,” Ben whispers to her. He lifts his arms and bows his head to plant a kiss on her downy soft head. His voice is gentle, reverent, as he confesses, “You and your mommy are the best thing to ever happen to me.” 

Padmé coos again, agreeing with him. A smile plays upon his lips. “Opinionated like your mother, I see.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Ben glances over to Rey’s bed to see her watching him, her eyes sparkling, a tired smile dancing upon her lips. She stays laid down on her side, hair disheveled on the pillow. Rey is stunning, even as tired as she is. She’d worked hard to bring their daughter into the world and Ben loves her for it more than he’s ever loved another person in his life. 

“It’s not a bad thing,” Ben shakes his head. “Could be challenging when she’s a teenager, though.”

Rey smiles. “I love that you’re already thinking about that.” She snorts and adds, “Oh god, when she starts dating, you’ll be -”

Ben squishes his eyes shut. “Let’s not think about that,” he says. It’s difficult to wrap his head around having a child, never mind that child growing up and creating a family of their own. It’s too much, too soon.

The gentle music of Rey’s laughter fills the room, quickly interrupted by Padmé’s distraught wails. “She’s hungry,” Ben says.

Rey’s eyes brighten as she smiles. “You’re good at this already,” she says, slowly sitting up in bed. 

She winces, and Ben asks, “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Rey nods. She doesn’t look it, but Ben trusts her to speak up when she’s really in bad shape. Instead, she changes the subject. “I like the nickname ‘sweetheart.’ It suits her.”

“That’s how much you heard?” Ben asks, suddenly looking quite embarrassed.

Rey nods, reaching out for Padmé. Ben lowers their daughter into Rey’s arms and watches as Rey completely unabashedly lowers the top of her dress and holds Padmé near her breast. Padmé latches on right away, and Rey takes a moment to watch as she feeds her daughter for the second time.

The first time had been emotional for her - both in terms of the connection she felt to her daughter, and to the realization that her body could provide for her daughter what Rey had longed for for years - sustenance. Food.  _ Enough to survive _ .

“You’re going to be such a good father,” Rey whispers, eyes never leaving their daughter.

Ben leans in and presses a gentle kiss to Rey’s forehead. “You’re a great mother already,” he says to her. “I’m glad she has you.”

“Stop that,” Rey protests, looking up at Ben. “She has both of us. We both love her. That’s all a child should ever need.”

Not knowing what to say to that, Ben presses a gentle kiss to Rey’s lips. “You were so brave,” he reminds her.

Smiling, Rey looks into Ben’s eyes and says, “We made it through. We survived. We did what we had to do to get her to safety. We should  _ both _ be proud.”

Ben can only nod. When he looks down at his daughter, all he sees is the good in the world - the light side. The brightness in the galaxy that he’d once lost all faith in. Padmé and Rey had put the light back into his life, and he felt like the luckiest man alive.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi at reyssolo.tumblr.com


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